Transparent armor is a material or system of materials designed to be optically transparent yet protective against fragmentation or ballistic impacts. This class of material is used in diverse applications from non-combat to combat usages, but is most often used in ground vehicles, including resupply vehicles, trucks, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, armored personnel carriers, tanks, personnel transport vehicles, reconnaissance vehicles, and other modes of ground transportation. Modern transparent armor is often made of layered plastic and glass or ceramic separated by polymer interlayers. The armor used in these applications must stand up to multiple projectile strikes while still being large enough to afford the driver and other occupants an adequate range of vision.
There are countless drawbacks to the use of transparent armor in ground vehicles. The armored windshields and windows are most often made from plastic and glass, two materials that add tremendously to the already parasitic weight of a vehicle's armor system. The added mass is often so great that the drivetrain and suspension require substantial modification and upgrades in order to uphold hauling and performance requirements. Materials comprising transparent armor must also must be formed extremely thick to provide proper protection, but increases in armor thickness results in a loss of interior cabin volume, thus restricting the occupants' movement. The increased thickness also reduces optical clarity, meaning that as the transparent armor is designed to improve protection against incoming projectiles, there is a commensurate drop in visual acuity, serving to reduce operational safety.
Although advancements in transparent armor have slowly progressed and attempted to make use of transparent ceramics and various other polymers, there are grave concerns among manufacturers and users about the compatibility of future transparent armor systems with infrared and night-vision goggles while still providing protection against future threats such as advanced laser technology, so there exists a need for a system to provide vision to the occupants of a vehicle while still retaining a high level of protection.
One attempted solution to the weaknesses presented by the use of transparent armor has been the reduction of the size of the windshield or window where transparent armor is used. Smaller windows are structurally stronger and are thus more protective, but using a smaller window reduces the driver's line of sight, thus reducing operational safety despite enhanced structural protection.
Perhaps the most significant drawback of the windshields and windows constructed from transparent armor is that even after being thickened, reinforced, and treated, they still offer only limited protection to the occupants of a vehicle. Furthermore, a single shot can induce a large zone of opacity thereby significantly reducing or even eliminating visual awareness. Many transparent armor systems would fail upon a direct hit from a .50 caliber round unless modified even further to withstand impacts. When explosively formed projectiles (“EFPs”) are used to attack these vulnerable areas on vehicles, the results can be fatal. Because of the obvious vulnerabilities of transparent armor, attackers frequently target the areas of a vehicle where transparent armor is used, often having disastrous consequences.
Notwithstanding the various vision systems currently in existence, there exists a need for a highly protective vision system that does not add a significant amount of weight or otherwise serve as a tactical disadvantage.